I Am Ready
by Quill's And Parchment
Summary: I am ready... Nothing could have prepared them for what was to come... He stepped out of the tent and stared directly into the infuriated eyes of the nesting dragon and resolved himself to his fate... Harry was ready to die.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

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><p><em>I am ready<em>.

I've had this planned ever since they deserted me.

I am ready.

I will be with my parents.

I am ready.

I will not have to deal with the Dursleys.

I am ready.

I will not put anyone in harms way anymore.

I am ready.

I won't be hurt anymore.

I am ready.

I won't have to be in this bloody world.

I am ready to die.

* * *

><p>Nothing could prepare anyone for what to come.<p>

The mother Hungarian Horntail was angry, so incredibly mad her fiery breath spiraled all around her even before the cannon sounded. The nesting mother was ready, but unlike how Harry was ready, she was prepared to defend her children and her race.

And defend her eggs and kind she would.

The cannon blasted, its deep, stomach vibrating sound echoed around the arena almost as loud as the dragon's roars; her deep and menacing roars...

* * *

><p>When his name came out the Goblet of Fire it seemed everyone had abandoned him.<p>

Sirius stopped returning his letters, Hagrid stopped answering the door of his hut, Professor Dumbledore would not even glance at him during meals in the Great Hall, and worst of all Hermione and Ron didn't believe him when he said he did not put his name in the Goblet.

Everyone hated him: the Dursleys, his friends, his classmates, all of Hogwarts staff, his godfather. No, they couldn't just hate him quietly they had to make his life hell. Stealing his possessions, hexing him in class and the corridors, even Madam Pomfrey hated him so much she told him to get out of her infirmary and refused to heal him.

So he was ready. He was ready for it all to end.

I am ready.

He stepped out of the tent and stared directly into the infuriated eyes of the nesting mother dragon and resolved himself to his fate.

Harry was ready to die.

* * *

><p>NOTE FOR ANY RETURNING READERS: I took all my stories down for a couple of months, I had several people look for them and then PMed me when they couldn't find them. So I decided to put the stories back up and post my chapters instead of keeping the story to myself. Anyone who hadn't read this before- enjoy the story.<p>

Also make sure to-  
>-Check out <em>I Am Ready: The Alternative Ending <em>which will be re-posted soon.  
>-Follow my tumblr at dabunnylord, I'll be posting my own fanart for this story and can do other lil' tidbits.<p>

_~Quill's And Parchment_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

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><p>"Why? Why didn't you tell me you were going to put your name in? Why didn't you tell me how to put mine in!" Ron screamed at him, spit flying in his anger.<p>

"I didn't put my name in Ron! I swear! This is just another plan to kill me!" Harry shouted back throwing his hands in the air with exasperation.

Ron wore an expression that shocked Harry to the core. "Yes, yes it's always about Harry-bloody-Potter isn't it? Sometimes-no, all the time I think you're more paranoid than Mad-Eye Moody! And-and you think everything is about you! Why would anyone put your name into the Goblet of Fire? You're the Boy-Who-Lived!" Ron shouted with contempt.

"Exactly! I'm the Boy-Who-Lived, there are people that want me dead!" Harry roared at his so called best friend. But it seemed Ron wouldn't see sense and continued his rant.

"You get everything! You have money, you have power, and you get all the girls, and the worst thing about it is you're so bloody dense you don't see it! You just feed off that little idea since first year that you're some lonely deprived kid. 'Oh look at me I lost my parents when I was baby, ooh my relatives don't give me everything I want'!" Ron mocked his face becoming the famous Weasley red.

"I have a trust fund my parents set up-I'm not set for life! I don't have galleons to just throw around Ron and who cares about power anyway? And don't you remember when you and the twins had to pull the bars off my window?" Harry's voice continued rising and was attracting more and more attention. From where they stood out in the Transfiguration Courtyard there were many people who could overhear them, "Girls, Ron? You know I'm not looking for a relationship now!"

"Oh, so what, my sister isn't good enough for you?" Ron screamed, balling up his fists.

Harry's face screwed up in confusion. "Ginny? What's Ginny got to do with anything? All I said is I'm not looking for a relationship!"

"Oh? Is it Hermione then?"

"Hermione, what's she-"

"I knew it! You don't want my sister so you want Hermione!" Before anything else could happen Ron launched himself at Harry and had pulled back his fist for a punch when a shout rang across the courtyard.

"What in Merlin's name is going on out here? Potter, Weasley what are you doing?" Professor McGonagalls stern voice rang out. The students who were loitering watching their argument had suddenly disappeared, leaving no witnesses.

"What in the name of Merlin is going on out here?" McGonagall scolded glaring at the two of them.

"Nothing." Ron mumbled, his eyes seemingly glued to his shoes.

"Yeah, Professor, nothing." Harry muttered bitterly between clenched teeth, glancing over at his former best friend.

Not believing them McGongall sighed, "Very well, ten poi-" And sighed again remembering there was no point system this year. "Very well, be on your way."

The two scurried off, Ron still feeling bitter jealousy, and Harry a hole in his heart for his lost friend.

* * *

><p>"Harry!" Hermione called spotting him walking quickly to his History of Magic class the next day.<p>

Harry stopped to let her catch up to him. Her hair was flying everywhere and there was two bright pink spots from the exertion of running to catch him.

"Hi Harry, can we walk together?" At his nod they started off again.

"I heard about your and Ronald's fight yesterday. You know it's against the rules to fight Harry." Hermione scolded, feeling the urge to shake her fist at him.

Said boy sighed deeply before responding, "It wasn't really a fight. We were having an argument. Hermione, he's jealous of my life, and he doesn't even believe me when I say I didn't put my name in the cup-"

"About that," Hermione began, cutting him off. "You know the rules said that no one under the age of seventeen could enter. Yet you did anyway. I am disappointed in you Harry James Potter."

Harry gaped at her before closing his mouth angrily and biting back, "Can't you forget the rules for a second and realize someone else did it?"

Hermione's face would have been comical if it wasn't for the situation.

"Forget the rules? Are you mad?" She shrieked. Luckily the corridor was empty and they didn't attract any unwanted attention.

"Fine then, can you realize that Dumbledore or someone didn't make sure only seventeen year olds could participate, because they messed up-"

She cut him off again, "Harry! You can't just disrespect authority like that-"

"Will you let me finish?!" Harry seethed angrily.

Hermione glared at him but conceded, "Fine then."

"Good. If only someone of age could enter they-whoever was in charge-must have screwed up somehow to allow me, a fourth year, to have to enter! Maybe instead of scolding me for something I didn't do you could help me with the first task or try to find a way out of it!"

Now it was Hermione's turn to gape. "Help you? Harry it's against the rules!"

"Merlin Hermione! You have got to stop thinking that rules and authoritative figures are some kind of Gods!"

"But they're appointed and put there for a reason Harry!"

"And most of the time in the Wizarding World its the wrong reason! Like Fudge, Crouch, Snape, and hundreds of others the only way they got to power was by influence and money! Not respect, not good choices, but manipulation! Oh and for good measure add that manipulative bastard Dumbledore to the list!" Harry snarled at her before stalking off to History of Magic.

When Hermione arrived Harry was already in the classroom scratching loudly on a piece of parchment. She sat next to Neville who seemed to be getting ready for a good doze. Hermione heard a curse and glanced over at Harry where in his anger his quill went right through the parchment. She sighed realizing she probably just lost her friend, before getting out fresh parchment and copying down notes from Professor Binns lecture on the Goblin Rebellion of 1762.

* * *

><p>"Hagrid? Hagrid are you here?" Harry knocked again on the door of the man's hut. There was still no answer.<p>

The smoke coming out of the precariously perched chimney showed Harry that Hagrid was home.

"Hagrid, I know you're here! I can see the smoke from your chimney. Please I want to talk to you." Harry begged through the door.

The curtains on the round window opened a teensy bit and a beady black eye peeked through. When Harry glanced over to it the floral curtains snapped shut.

"Hagrid please, please, don't think I put my name in the Goblet! I didn't!" Harry cried. Fang barked from inside the hut at hearing Harry's tone.

The door cracked open and Harry could see a small part of Hagrid from the small opening.

"Make it quick." Hagrid said gruffly not opening the door wider.

"Can I come in?" Harry asked relieved Hagrid answered, finally.

"Sorry, Olympe's comin' by soon and I'm tryin' te get ready." Hagrid answered shortly.

"Oh...er...well. I didn't put my name into the Goblet of Fire."

Hagrid nodded curtly at that.

"You believe me?" Harry asked happily.

Hagrid only shrugged and said, "Who would want te put ye inte the Goblet o' Fire Harry?"

"But Hagrid you've got to believe me, I didn't! And someone who wants to kill me for sure!"

Hagrid looked dubious and started to shut the door while saying, "I've got te get ready fer Olympe, Harry. Best ye not come round here fer a while 'kay?"

He didn't wait for an answer and just shut and latched the door.

"But...Hagrid..."

Harry's shoulders hunched forward and he trudged back up the path to the castle.

* * *

><p>Two days later at breakfast the mail came in and Harry, who sitting alone, happily spotted Hedwig soaring towards him, her white plumage making it easy to spot her.<p>

"Hey girl." He cooed when she landed on his outstretched arm. "Got mail for me?" If owls could look sad she definitely did and with a dull hoot and a nip at his ear she took off heading for the owlery not bothering to snatch a piece of his bacon.

Harry's grin slowly faded when he realized his letter was unopened with another attached.

_Harry,_

_I saw in the Daily Prophet that you entered your name into the Goblet of Fire. I can't believe you would do something so stupid. I am very disappointed, I would come and try to help you though because I'm your godfather and I love you. But Dumbledore's forbade me from coming and instead I'm heading to Majorca. Please don't try to write back. And don't get yourself killed._

_Snuffles._

"What?" Harry whispered staring at the short letter in his hand from his godfather Sirius. Reading between the lines he read-

_Harry,_

_I don't believe that you didn't put your name in there. It's stupid of you and I'm so mad and disappointed I don't want anything to do with you so I'm lying saying Dumbledore is sending me somewhere so I don't have to help my disappointment of a godson._

_Sirius._

"No, but Sirius...I-" Harry stopped whispering to himself when he saw some students were glaring at him and trying to listen to whatever he was saying.

Without another word Harry stuffed the letters into his pocket and headed off to Transfiguration early trying to blink back the moisture in his eyes...

"There's no one who believes me..." Harry whispered and laid his head on the desk in front of him in Professor McGonagall's classroom.

* * *

><p>Harry stepped out into the arena and faced the Horntail mother without fear, staring into its eyes.<p>

The fire coming from the dragon was so hot it scorched the little hairs on his arms from more than a hundred feet away.

With one last glance at the smooth wood of his wand, he pushed his feelings away, and snapped the wood in half, allowing the pieces to drop to the ground. As if he was on a Sunday stroll Harry walked forward straight towards the mouth of the Hungarian Horntail and closed his eyes and waited for the end.

Harry knew it was coming mere moments before it did when the screams and shouts suddenly become louder and fearful from the stands.

He opened his eyes to face his death and saw the snout of the dragon speeding towards him...opening...a red spark then...

An inferno of fire sped around Harry James Potter.

He reveled in the feeling of his flesh burning off of his bones, his nerves being fried to shreds.

He loved the feeling of finally being free of it all. Just one more half-second and it would be over-

The blackness took over.

The audience in the stands were screaming, shouting, swearing, in worry at the boy who just swallowed in fire.

Headmaster Dumbledore, said to be the strongest wizard since Merlin, calmly stood and spoke the incantation for the flame freezing spell just as dozens of dragon handlers started shouting stunners at the dragon.

When the smoke and the fire had blown away in a non-existent breeze the crowd could finally see the youngest tri-wizard champion.

He lay on the ground his skin black, cracked with fried blood oozing out.

But what scared them the most was the satisfied, relieved cracked smile on his severely burnt face.

* * *

><p>Also make sure to-<br>-Check out _I Am Ready: The Alternative Ending _which will be re-posted soon.  
>-Follow my tumblr at dabunnylord, I'll be posting my own fanart for this story and can do other lil' tidbits.<p>

_~Quill's And Parchment_


	3. Chapter 3

In the muggle world time is everything, time is of the essence. They have stories of an animagus rabbit running late to meet up where he had used a time turner to gain a couple of hours. A girl, a muggle girl, had followed the wizard and fell into a different world, a mistaken and twisted version of the wizarding world.

Muggles have been fascinated by time; they want more of it, they want less of it, they waste, they want to go back in time, they want to go forward in time. Time is everything. If they had more time so many things...so many possibilities...

To wizards and witches, oh well time is not as important. Wizards live to be over a hundred years old. They have time turners that they give to children to take a few extra classes. They have spells that slow down or speed up time.

It is yet another difference between the muggle and wizarding worlds. Yet another reason that magic cannot be shown to the masses.

Imagine if magic-less people discovered the ability to go back just an hour in time at the most. That is enough to stop a murder. Enough to stop a kidnapping, enough to be ready for a heart-attack. Enough to evacuate more people before a killer storm...enough to destroy the world.

But what if there is a chance that if you did not go back in time that the world, muggle and wizard, would be changed forever-for the worst?

Would you? Even if it caused you great pain? Sorrow? With the chance for happiness, and life, slim to none for you in the current world-would you stay? Or would you choose to turn back five years and try to make the world better, better than its current path?

Would you?

Or would you condemn this god forsaken earth and its inhabitants to their fate, and leave it forever?

A boy, no older than fourteen, lays dying with two choices.

One of them so many others would choose, another that may seem far worse but holds much greater chances at happiness.

Harry Potter must choose between doing everything again, or staying with his parents forever.

A room is all it is. No doors, no windows, but a great fireplace. The hearth of the fireplace is very large, upon it lays a small broomstick and small children's toys. The couch, loveseat and two chairs in the room are dark, eitherfrom the color of the cloth or the shadows. The walls are a light chocolate brown and the floors are a very nice hardwoord, clear and polished.

Seated on the three-person couch two people are leaning over a small child laying between them.

"Harry? Baby, wake up please." A clear, motherly voice comes from the person in the left. Her red hair and face is illuminated as the fire crackles and spikes before settling down. The man to the right looks just as an older version of the boy.

Said child, is not as young as he looks, his emaciated form just makes him seem so much younger than he truly is.

"Harry, Harry it's time to wake up." The woman says again reaching over to brush his bangs out his eyes, not even hesitating when her hand fleetingly brushes over his scar.

The boy, Harry, flinches at the feeling of her hand on his face but leans into her touch.

His eyes open for a moment before closing again, a second later they snap open and stare at the woman above him.

"Mum?" Harry's voice isn't soft, or cracking with emotion, only laced with confusion.

"Yes Harry, its me mummy, and your daddy."

Harry quickly looked over his father and back to his mother before pushing up on the couch and looking around.

"Where am I?" He asks taking in the seats, fireplace and the child toys.

"I think," James says, "we're at our home in Godric's Hollow." James looked around the room before nodding, "Yes, we are. The only difference is there aren't any doors or windows like there really is."

"Am I dead?" Harry asked bluntly with no emotion. That alone scared his parents, they knew of his life and how it was progressing but they did not expect the lack of emotion in their son.

"Well," Lily said slowly looking apprehensive, "you are and you are not at the same time." At Harry's confused look she continued, "You have to understand this is hard to explain Harry. And the choice you have to make will be even harder." She stopped and ducked her head, but Harry saw the tears glistening on her eyelashes before she had hidden her eyes.

James took over for her, "Let's start on October 31st, 1981 Prongslet. You, me and your mum had just gotten back from trick-or-treating. You loved it this time, because you were more aware of the costumes and you could eat some of the candy now. At our house, in Godric's Hollow we had spent some time in our little living room, that looked exactly like this but, you know, some windows and doors. Later Lily was about to take you upstairs to bed when _he_ showed up."

"We really shouldn't have taken you out of the the safety of the Fidelis we had on the house, but we didnt want you to have to miss out on everything," Lily started explaining when Harry asked, "Fidelis? Thats that spell that kind of makes the house invisible and everyone but the Keeper not know where you are?"

Lily nodded, grinning proudly before sobering and speaking again. "James told me to take you and run, but You-Know-Who had put up anti-apparation wards on the house so the best I could do was run upstairs and try to ward the door of your nursery. But...he hadn't even bothered to fight James, he just cast the Killing Curse at him and followed me. Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had told me if I gave you to him he would let me live, called me a silly child." She gave a dry, humorless laugh, "But I begged him to take me instead, I was really trying to stall him. I knew I wouldn't live, It wasn't just guessing Harry either, Albus would have told you differently but the prophecy did not come from Trelawney-"

"What prophecy?" Harry cried out, his jaw slack in surprise.

"He didn't tell you? That ruddy bastard didn't even have the guts to tell you why he was coming after you!" James roared standing suddenly and pacing. Every time he turned it was a violent twist of his body and Harry was sure one time was going to crack his neck.

"Let me explain the prophecy in a minute sweetheart ok?" Lily asked silently begging her son who nodded at her. "Okay, I was a seer and knew I was going to die but I also knew what I had to do so you could live. It was old, dark magic, but there was a spell I could cast before sacrificing myself so that you would not be able to be hurt in any way by this creature. And it worked. His spell backfired onto him and killed his body, but what I didn't prepare for was him making you a Horcrux.

"A Horcrux is part of someone's soul broken off from the rest and placed into another thing, either inanimate, or animate. Your scar was a part of his soul, he did not purposely make you into a Horcrux, Harry, his soul was just so unstable from the other six Horcruxes he made that when he killed me then immediately tried to kill you not a moment later it made your scar into a Hocrux but destroyed his body at the same time as my sacrifice made the Killing Curse rebound. Now the reason he came after you was a prophecy.

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ..._

_born to those who have thrice defied him,_

_born as the seventh month dies ..._

_and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal,_

_but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ..._

_and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ..._

_the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies ..."_

"But this means...but..how...I'm dead! He's dead! What the hell...I..." Harry stammered incoherently.

James frowned and was about to admonish his son for the harsh language when he noticed something peculiar. Harry had gone deathly white, and was breathly very fast and deep.

"Harry? Harry, calm down! We'll explain everything will be okay!" Lily cried whilst pulling him into her lap and brushing her fingers through his hair.

She continued to rock him and run her fingers through his hair and whispered to him that everything would be okay. James scooted over closer to his wife and son to put his arm around them.

When Harry had calmed down he looked up at his parents and asked, "If I'm dead-he must still be alive. And then...everyone I knew will be killed by him..."

"Well..." James said slowly causing the full attention of his son to go onto him.

"What is it?" Harry demanded.

"He is alive, but you are not dead, or alive, right now. You are inbetween."

"Not yet about that James. We were only at the part where Voldy Shorts killed us." Lily said 'Voldy Shorts' with a very silly face making Harry laugh softly.

"Very well," James said, "Hagrid came and got you right after we were killed-"

"Wait how did he know something had happened?" Harry asked raising his eyebrows.

"Apparently Albus had placed his own special spells on you to inform him when you became an orphan. He knew we were going to die Harry. He wanted us to so that he could do whatever he wanted with you and mold you into a perfect weapon, or martyr. Albus-Bloody-I-Have-A-Lot-Of-Middle-Names-Dumbledore, is not as great as he likes people to think he is Harry. He did not actually kill Grindelwald. Grindlewald-also known as Adolf Hitler in the muggle world-killed himself. But Dumbledore decided he would say he did it by sending such a strong cutting curse it drove a hole right through him. Luckily for him the wizards at that time-and muggle-borns-did not have really any connections to the muggle-world and did not see that he had killed himself."

Harry was staring openly at his father, with more and more questions sprouting into his mind.

"But..."

"Harry if he was so great he could find a way to get you out of that tournament. He was there when you went after the Sorcerers Stone-just invisible. Oh, and earlier in the year when you found the mirror do you realize he told you NOT to dream of having a family? Second Year-a twelve year old girl figured out a basilisk was in the school befoe the great Albus Dumbledore-actually he knew but he wanted to see if you would get rid of it and save the Weasley girl. He knew about it the entire time-that Diary, the basilisk, the first year girl that was going to scarred for the rest of her life, he even had the restorative potions for the children that were petrified but he waited on that too because he wanted your incredibly smart friend not to tell you what was going on. She had found out not just about the basilisk, but had discovered informattion about who Albus Dumbledore really was. When she and the others woke up after you killed the basilisk and destroyed the diary-which was a Horcrux by the way-he Obliviated her!"

Harry gasped and his jaw dropped. He didn't know everything about the Wizarding World but he knew how incredibly cowardly it was to Obliviate someone, since Lockheart tried to Obliviate him and Ron.

James had stood up and was pacing bath and forth and continued his rant about Albus Dumbledore, "In third year-he knew Pettigrew had been in the castle since first year-he let an escaped 'felon' into the castle! Yes, Sirius is innocent, but if he let him into the castle 'thinking' he was a criminal what else would he do? Let a werewolf into there too! Yes Remus would never hurt anyone-but what if it wasn't Remus? What if it was another werewolf that did not have any qualms about hurting children? And he transformed! He should have made sure that Remus had the Wolfsbane potion and was locked up that night and should have already been locked up in the dungeons by noon that day! Albus was in the castle the night everything happened to you in the Shrieking Shack and didn't tell anyone! He even gave a time turner to a thirteen year old girl who the year before he had muddled up the mind of! Hermione Granger didn't even want to take those classes but he persuaded her to. Because he didn't want someone so wise and smart around you, he wanted to arouse suspicion in you and make you start to think she was keeping secrets and he wanted you to abandon her!"

Harry's father shoved his hands into his pockets and stood there fuming trying to contain his rage.

Lily started running her fingers through his hair again while saying, "He was doing these things even before you started Hogwarts Harry. He took you to Petunia-my sweet sister, she loved you. That entire family were saints but then Albus messed up their minds. He altered their memories to hate magic, hate James and you and me. He even placed the idea of you sleeping under the stairs. Their entire treatment of you was caused by him. And now...its irreversable."

She ducked her head before taking a breath and talking again, "These spells that changed their minds were placed on an empty letter he had put with you when he-HE LEFT YOU ON THE FRONT STEPS." Harry's mum screeched.

"You could have been stolen, or you could have freezed to death you-you..."

"When folks around Little Whinging noticed something was wrong with you and your home life Dumbledore stepped in and confunded them not to notice anything. He even had Hagrid come and get you! I have nothing against him and he was a dear friend but I don't think someone just learning about the Wizarding World should be introduced to it by a man who had his wand snapped and wasn't even a teacher at the school!" James said in just two breaths.

"He even chose your best friend for you. He had caused you to grow up friendless and decided someone whose father had become a death eater-becuase Dumebledore told him to!-would not be a good friend for you so he had you meet Ron. He even put a small confunding spell on you to think Ron should be your friend!"

"Draco Malfoy should have been my friend?" Harry asked flabbergasted.

"Yes, and you should have been in Slytherin! Dumbledore put spells on everyone around you, he even confunded Draco to behave the way he did!" Jame paused, "Or does?"

"Did, James. Because now, if you decide to live you will go back in time." Lily said sadly.

"What? Decide to live? I thought you said I wasn't dead?"

"You aren't. But because of the Horcrux in your head that is not dead, it tried to bring your soul too. But, you a have a choice. You can live and go back to the time right before you boarded the Hogwarts Express-or," Lily exchanged glances with her husband, "or stay dead."

Harry opened his mouth to say something but closed it before speaking again.

"What would happen if I decided to stay dead?"

"If...if you...dead...decide..." Lily stuttered, her tongue tripping over the words and messing up their sequence.

Harry looked at his mother sadly and shrugged, "Why should I go back and help all those miserable bastards when all they do is continue to hurt me every chance they get?"

It was an honest question he asked. Why should he? If all he was going to get was a manipulating old man with a very creepy interest in a young boy, relatives that would rather him get hit by a truck than give him the time of day, friends that abandon him at the slightest hint of something they don't think is right, and nothing worth living for, why do it?

"Because you can make things right! There's fate, and bloody-too-many-names-Dumbledore has been messing it up! By going back you can get to the correct house! You-you can have your real friends, and-ugh!" James cried, once again pacing back froth across the floor. He ran his hands through his hair tugging on the unruly strands in his frustration.

Harry was confused, no one has ever helped him before without wanting personal gain. Yes they've followed him into danger and yet at the end they took all the credit. "Why are you telling me this stuff? Why are you trying to help me?"

James stopped pacing, Lily stopped staring in shock only to look utterly confused.

"Why wouldn't we help you," James asked, "you're our son. And we will gain even if we are dead, we get to know you'll be happy."

Looking apprehensive Harry steered the conversation back on track, "It makes no sense. Why would you want to help me only for those reasons? Me being your son and my happiness just doesn't look like a good enough reason, because I would be happy to stay here with you and not have to worry about anything anymore. And well...if I wasn't your son you wouldn't help me."

"Harry, baby, I know you think no one cares about you but, Merlin, your father and I absolutely love you! Theres so much you should know but the way fate has changed we have to tell you as you go along. I'm sorry it's just how things will have to work for you to be happy and safe."

Harry looked like he was going to say something but closed his mouth an frowned. He stared at his clenched hands in his lap in confusion.

I know they're my parents but I just don't understand why. And if they care about me...is there anyone else out there that feels the same?

"Harry, if I had this choice I would go back just to find my real friends and prank everyone in the Wizarding World." James said with a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Suddenly he had an idea.

And oh what a wonderful idea it is.

Such majesty, such fun.

For him that is. Perhaps not everyone else but, oh, would Harry have fun with this.

His parents were just staring worriedly at their son. One moment James was saying something, and Harry looked confused; then the next Harry had a strange gleam in his eyes and a truly maniac smile on his face. Harry chewed on his bottom lip for several minutes just continuing to stare at his hands. Hands that were covered in scars and burns from this and there at the Dursleys, the countless times he was hurt at Hogwarts and just overall thin unhealthy hands. But if he went back the hurt would be gone. If he went back he could completely start over, he would know what would happen, or at least would happen if he chose to do things the same as before.

But the things he could do...

"Harry? Sweetie are you okay?" Lily blurted worriedly, her eyebrows were pressed close together and her red hair was falling down around her face.

"Of course. But I have decided to return." He said abruptly causing his mother and father to blink several times to comprehend what he said.

"Oh...okay...um...well...," Lily said slowly still blinking to comprehend, "I...well...I think it would be better for James to explain what's left to tell you." She finished and looked up at her husband.

"Well, son, the Potters are actually one of the six original Ancient and Noble houses that go back to the time before Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw built Hogwarts. What that means is you are a Lord. And that means since you are Lord coming from before the time of the Ministry and all their rubbish laws , it well, it means that have no control over you. Anything they try to use to incriminate you, you have the power to overthrow. It also means you're one of the six richest families in the world. And well, when you go back you can go claim your inheretence-"

"-And get away from my sister because you'll be emancipated-" His mother inturrpted.

"-Yes you'll be emancipated and you'll have tons of houses to choose from." James finished while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I what?" Harry gasped and gaped.

"Yes, and you're the direct descendent of Godric Gryffindor, he married into the family by the way, and by right of conquest Salazar Slytherin. Since you could now claim to be Lord's of those two Noble houses it gives you a lot of influence in the Wizarding World. Imagine using the seats on the Wizengamot and putting whoopee cushions under all the cushions. It wouldn't be magic and they'd have no clue what happened!" James said excitedly.

"Even as an adult that should be in their forties you're still a child James." Lily said smiling up at her husband.

"But you love me anyway." He replied cheekily.

Harry was waving his hands to get their attention back from staring at each other-seriously even if they've been dead they have been married for like sixteen years now!

"Can we get back to the part where if I go back-"

"When you go back." Lily chirped.

Harry resisted the urge to roll his eyes at his mother, "Fine, when I go back."

"And okay back on track-" James started.

"Wait." Harry said abruptly causing his parents, now completely serious, to look worriedly at each other.

Harry changed the subject very abruptly and seemed to be getting lost in his own mind every now and then-was it because of his aweful childhood? Did the damage Petunia, Vernon, and Dumbledore did cause him...to be of unsound mind?

"Is there a way I can go back before the day I go onto the Express for the first time? 'Cause if I do I won't be able to claim the Lordship."

"That's easily remedied." James said taking a breath, "Even though we cannot change the time of when you would go back-Fate deemed it that you would go back at the time that the most change happened in your life. Yes everything changed the day you recieved your Hogwarts letter, and the day, " He paused a moment, "We were murdured, but it's said your life changed the most drastically on September 1st 1991 at eleven o' clock in the morning. And that is the time you go back and we can't change it even a second; however, we can spend as much time as any of us would like here. I'm not completely sure how it works but when you're ready to go back you will."

"The way we can fix that is with the Potter elves." Lily continued when James stopped for a breath." Seeing as the first five days at Hogwarts are spent for the students to settle in and readjust you can use those days to call one of the elves and have them take you to: Gringotts, our different properties, and to go shopping for things fit for a Lord."

Harry nodded not bothering to ask whether or not the elves were paid-S.P.E.W. was just annoying. _Elves don't want to be freed Hermione they live for the work._ Harry thought to himself.

"Okay, well, is there anything else we need to talk about before we go back?" Harry asked tilting his head to the side slightly.

"No..." Lily and James said slowly still worried about their son who seemed to be taking this all to calmly and just seemed...off.

"Well then how do I go back?"

Without him noticing his body was slowly changing. He was aging back-it was like aging forward though in a way. As you age forward your hair grows, as you age forward things heal, so while Harry aged backwards his hair slowly grew longer to cover his scar and hang onto his shoulders. As all of his scars, bruises and just all together hurts healed and made him a healthy seeming eleven-year-old boy his hair started to look healthier. Strangely it did not look black any longer, or dead looking. He was now was a slightly shorter than average boy, with emerald greens eyes, and dark wild red hair.

He was small but no overly so anymore. Harry looked much more the mix of Lily and James than just James and only his mother in his eyes.

"Wow...I had no idea the extent of Dumbledores charms...I can't believe he actually charmed Harry to look like a mini-you!" Lily said quietly looking at her husband.

While Harry looked confused a full length mirror appeared in the center of the room while a door also appeared behind him. Walking over to get a closer look at himself Harry saw his mother was right, he was an equal mix of them now.

"Now, Harry, are you ready? The door to go back has appeared." Lily said looking at the seemingly normal door that had appeared behind them when the mirror had.

"Yep." He said firmly, walked forward, opened the door, and walked through, none of them ever noticing the red, wrinkled, baby-like creature shivering behind the couch they had been occupying.

* * *

><p>Also make sure to-<br>-Check out _I Am Ready: The Alternative Ending _which will be re-posted soon.  
>-Follow my tumblr at dabunnylord, I'll be posting my own fanart for this story and can do other lil' tidbits.<p>

_~Quill's And Parchment_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

* * *

><p>"Oh yeah. We forgot to remind him that we could spend years here and he would still go back at the same time." Lily breathed dejectedly, "It would have been nice to get to know him a bit before we immediately went back, or at least relax a bit. But no..."<p>

"Well, he was a Gryffindor for four years, he still has some of that Gryffindor reckless, dive-right-in, brashness."

Lily just stared at James surprised he was say something even slightly negative against Gryffindor house.

"What? It's true!" He said defensively at her look.

She shook her head sadly, "Do you think he'll be okay James?"

"Absolutely."

* * *

><p>Stepping through the door back in time four years Harry just felt...so different. Already.<p>

People were milling around clearly not wanting to leave their children already and were delaying their departure by smoothing down hair, patting faces, and telling them to write once a week.

Harry smiled grimly at that and wished it were possible that his parents or at least aunt and uncle would have at least once told him goodbye as they saw him off to school.

He looked around and let a happy smile creep onto his face while looking at the Hogwarts Express and all its glory. Students were leaning out of windows to say more goodbyes and to call to friends. A pair of parents were talking to two young girls, twins, the four looked Indian-the Patils. Looking around he saw Dean Thomas with his mother and a little girl with pigtails clutching onto him and wailing, possibly his younger sister that did not want him to leave. There was one slightly chubby boy calling to a woman with a vulture on her hat asking about a toad? Trevor? Neville!

Harry grinned truly happy for a moment before realizing he was blocking the platform barrier and hurriedly moved when Molly and Ginny Weasley came through.

Seeing the strange (hungry?) looks he had not noticed the first time he had done this Harry gave a quick, "Thank you for your help," before scurrying off and jumping onto the train. On the Express people were running from cabin to cabin, calling for friends.

"Come on Georgie, I heard Lee's got some kind of spider in his cabin!" Someone said, Fred, before quickly hurrying past where Harry stood struggling with his trunk in the smaller, weaker body.

"Hold on a second Gred! This little fella needs some help." George said pulling his twin back.

"Well hello there-"

"Ickle firstie-"

"Looks like you're-"

"Having some difficulties-"

"There. Like some-"

"Help?" The two finished together.

Slightly dizzy at the way the two talked back and forth Harry nodded and watched as they grabbed his trunk and held onto it with one hand each.

"Let's find you-"

"A cabin-"

"That's not too-"

"Full." They said still going back and forth. Do they talk this way only in front of other people? They were talking normally when they thought I could not hear. Hmm... Harry thought whilst following the twins to a cabin towards the back. It turned out they led him to the cabin Neville was in. Said boy was freaking out a bit as he was still looking for his toad.

"Can you help me, please?" Neville asked them frantically when the twins inquired what he was so worried about, "My Gran got him for me for getting into Hogwarts and not being a squib and I can't find him!"

"Sure, ickle firstie-"

"His names Trevor-"

"Right?" Neville nodded frantically, wringing his hands. It's strange seeing all of these people young again, even if they're only about four years younger.

"We're only third years-"

"But we already know-"

"Some fourth year-"

"Spells. Accio Trevor the toad." One of the twins, possibly George, said and made an OOF sound when an object flew into the cabin right into his stomach. George doubled over clutching his stomach and gasping, apparently the toad had some weight to him.

"Here is-" George gasped.

"Your toad." Fred finished normally.

Looking bemused between them Harry came to a conclusion.

"Well, introductions. I know who you three are but I do believe you don't know who I am." Harry said and resisted the urge to say, "I bet you're wondering why I gathered you here today." Because they would not understand the reference. He didn't even really understand the reference.

"Oh really? Then who am I?" George said with a very mock skeptical look. Strange that Fred didn't say half of that.

"You are George Fabian Weasley," Turning to Fred, "Frederick Gideon Weasley," Finally Neville, "Neville Frank Longbottom."

The three just gaped at him while Neville had a slightly scared look.

"How do you know that?" Fred demanded frowning. "No one knows our middle names."

I wonder if I should tell them my father was Prongs, my godfather Padfoot, and almost Uncle Moony, and just leave out Wormtail. They would surely help my plan...

"I am the son of Prongs, the godson of Padfoot, and almost-nephew of Moony."

The twin's eyes widened and they dropped to the floor shouting, "We are not worthy! We are not worthy!"

"Um, not to intrude or anything but who are they?" Neville asked once again wringing his hands in anxiety.

"Only three of the most amazing pranksters in the world-"

"Our role models-"

"Our saviors'-

"Our secret fantasies-"

The two stopped and stared at each other before saying together, "Okay too far."

"So...um son of Prongs, what's your name?" Neville asked.

"Harry Potter." He answered immediately.

The twins just blinked before shaking taking both his hands and shaking them profusely.

"Wonderful to meet you-"

"My good man-"

"Simply delightful-"

"Fantastic-"

"Amazing-"

"Incredible-"

"The-"

"Harry Potter!" They said dramatically.

"Ha-ha." Harry said bemused.

"Would you like to sit with us and Lee? You too ickle Longbottom." Fred said looking at the two.

"Sure. Coming Nev'?" Harry asked looking over at the boy while once again pulling his giant trunk after him.

"Oh! Um...sure!" Neville said quickly trying to pull his trunk along too.

"Let us!" The twins said once again dramatically and pulled a trunk onto each of their shoulders.

"Not much in your trunk do you Harry m'boy? Not as heavy as I would have thought."

Quietly he responded, "Didn't have much to put into it."

The other three weren't sure how to respond that so they just headed out of the compartment to find Lee.

Lee turned out to be very easy to find as he was boasting about a black widow spider he had in a box in his cabin.

"Lee!" One of the twins called out.

"Fred! George!" The boy with the dreadlocks cried throwing out his hands to dramatically and mockingly slow run across the train car to throw himself onto the twins and give them 'manly' hugs.

"So Lee what's this about a spider?" George asked once they calmed down.

"Ooh wanna see it?"

"'Course!" The twins shouted. One of them turned slightly and motioned for the two first year's behind to follow into Lee's cabin.

Seeing the two Lee said, "Oh, hi. I'm Lee Jordon."

"Hi Lee. I'm Neville. Neville Longbottom." Surprisingly Neville seemed to act more confident now that he had his toad with him and with people who were not treating him like he was a magic-less squib.

"I'm Harry Potter." Harry regretted saying it already when he saw the boy's eyes widen and his mouth gape.

"Really? The Harry Potter? Scar and everything?"

"Well I have the scar I don't know about the everything you're talking about." He said raising an eyebrow slightly.

Lee laughed and thankfully didn't start hero-worshipping but instead chose to reach over and pick up a box that had holes punched in the top. It had a book placed on top, probably to keep the black widow inside, the book had ended up covering most of the holes in the box.

"Lookit ain't she a beauty?" Lee asked slowly opening the box to show the spider.

The black widow was scurrying around the box, it had black body sporting a bright orange-red spot. Harry grimaced at the thought of being stuck in a box like that spider. It started crouching down and Lee quickly slammed the top onto the box seeing it was about to try and jump out.

The train gave a lurch and the five boys fell onto the seats. Harry and Neville listened to the twins and Lee talk about their summers, Neville wasn't joining because he felt slightly out of place, Harry was not participating because he was waiting for a certain blonde boy to show up.

After about fifteen minutes of the train moving Lee suddenly shot up shouting, "Oh Merlin! The black widow's out of the box! The top came off when the train started moving!"

Everyone in the compartment also shot up looking around while Harry was watching the place above the compartment door. The spider was just sitting there giving Harry an idea when the door opened just a moment later.

Not even noticing the four half-frantic boys Malfoy just said, "I've heard rumors that Harry Potter is in this train car. Anyone seen him? I need to talk to him." This time around Malfoy seemed more cordial and nice, not so hostile.

"Malfoy…" Harry warned quietly, not taking his eyes off of the spider above the boy's head. The arachnid seemed to be studying Malfoy, its long legs tapping the wall while its shiny black head stared at him turning side to side, eerily slow.

Draco did not seem to hear Harry's quiet warning and repeated to the frantic compartment, "Have any of you seen Harry Potter? I heard he was in this car." Surprisingly he just glanced at the two Weasley's and did not say anything to the likes of, "Red hair, hand-me-down clothes, freckled face-you must be a Weasley." Draco's voice did not seem to have any malice in at all.

"Yes we have-"

"Ickle Drakie-"

"Seen Harry-"

"Potter. Have you-"

"Seen our little-"

"Brother?" Fred and Georgie said in their peculiar way in front of others.

Draco snorted. Draco Malfoy snorted? Harry thought flabbergasted. _Perhaps I was sent to an alternate universe instead of just…rewinding four years._ He thought as if commenting on the weather.

"Thankfully I have not seen him." Draco answered the twins with a smirk. Well that's more normal.

"Good. We still-"

"Have no idea-"

"Why he has-"

"It in his head-"

"You're an evil-"

"Little Slytherin."

Draco scoffed saying, "I have not even been sorted yet, I want to be in Ravenclaw. I heard they have their own library in the tower!" The blonde finished excitedly.

Finally Draco, Fred, and George, seemed to remember the other panicky occupants of the compartment. While Fred and George remembered the black widow spider Draco had no idea.

Draco did notice though when the twins' eyes widened at something above his head just as Harry said, "Windgardium Leviosa."

"Finally!" The blonde exclaimed as Harry levitated the spider above its intended victim's head.

"What-"Harry started but stopped when he saw Draco reach out and pluck the arachnid from the air and start scolding it.

What in the name of Merlin are you doing in here Willow?" He said as if…'Willow' could answer.

The five other boys in the compartment just did their best impressions of fish at him.

"Oh yeah," Draco started, "So…if you've seen Harry Potter where is he now? I met him in Diagon Alley and I think I made the wrong impression. I need to apologize. I even had to say I was going to be in Slytherin-my father was listening."

Neville who was just completely shocked at everything that happened since the black widow escaped just lifted a shaky finger and pointed at Harry.

"Oh," Draco said sheepishly shrugging, "I should have remembered you from the Alley. But…wow…you have changed a lot in that month."

Oh Merlin. I didn't think of that. People saw me before the time I went back to. A month ago this time I was a tiny, scrawny, pale little thing. Now I'm at least five inches taller, my hair goes to my shoulders and is dark red, and my glasses are gone. At least I am still pale and my eyes are the same color. But last time shouldn't my hair have been as red as my mother's now? More and more questions and speculations about Dumbles…

"Er…Potter…" Draco said waving his hand in front of the other boy a few times.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts it was Harry's turn to shrug sheepishly.

"Sorry, got lost in thought."

"S'okay. Er…I'm sorry for how much I seemed like a prat a month ago and I would like to extend my hand in friendship." He finished holding out a very pale hand.

Taking it Harry said, "On two conditions."

Looking hesitant Draco asked what the conditions were.

"You stop loitering in the doorway and come join us, and, two, explain the whole thing with…Willow the black widow."

Letting out a breath Draco said, "I can do that." And shook Harry's hand.

The compartment now filled with six boys was a little tight but they managed to get three people on each seat.

"Well, a few years ago I found this spider in my room at the manor," Draco started, "my house-elf Nanny wanted to banish it but I told her to leave it alone. It was…because I could hear something coming from the spider and when I got close enough I could tell it was words. All the poor girl was focusing on was spinning her first web. So I started talking to her and we became friends before I looked up in a book about wizards being able to talk to animals…and arachnids. It said she was most likely my familiar. But I did not tell my father about this because he would probably not think it was appropriate for the Scion of House Malfoy to have a lowly spider as his familiar.

"I found her…three years ago. I guess she is still alive because of my magic bonding with hers. Earlier today she got out of my robe pocket because she wanted to see the train station and was on my trunk. My father saw her and tried to banish her just like Nanny tried to do when I was eight and she disappeared. I could tell she was fine because of our bond and was just going to wait and let her catch up to me like she always did. And here she did," Draco smiled at the black widow that had crawled up to his shoulder. "She says that a boy with strangely curled hair swept her up in a rectangular box with holes in the top."

Fred and George snickered at Lee's face when Draco said that Willow said 'strangely curled hair'.

"Sorry 'bout that." Lee mumbled although glaring at the chuckling red headed duo.

"It's fine." Draco brushed it off. "So, Potter-"

"You can call me Harry." If we are supposed to end up best friends might as end start somewhere. I just wish Hermione was not so…rule and teacher dependent. She would love the Ravenclaw me, and Draco.

Draco beamed, which seemed strange going along with Harry's memories.

"Okay. So, Harry, how did you do that levitation spell so perfectly? I thought you lived with muggles."

"How did you know I lived with muggles?" Harry asked confused.

"Harry," Lee cried, "The entire Wizarding World knows about you! There are books upon books out there all about you! Although they never said anything about where the muggles lived or anything. Only that you lived with your mothers sister, your uncle and your cousin."

"Ah. So no one in the wizard world knows I spent the first eleven years of my life sleeping in a cupboard?"

Neville was the one was responded to this, "You slept in a cupboard? How could you even fit in there?"

Draco seemed to remember that Harry never said anything about his changes since the 'month' before.

"Uh…well since I went to…Diagon Alley…and went to the apothecary I saw these nutrition potions and started taking them…they helped a lot more even as my aunt and uncle started letting me eat more with them and doing less chores." Harry said quickly and off the top of his head. Note. Find out more about nutrition potions and make story plausible. Hopefully there are nutrition potions.

Before any of Harry's companions could say anything the door to the compartment opened and the trolley witch stuck her head in.

"Anything from the cart dears?" She asked looking warily at the twins who were grinning at her.

They opened their mouth, undoubtedly about to order as many things and as complicated as they could and in their twin speak but Harry beat them to it.

"A couple Chocolate frogs and cauldrons please, and a few pumpkin pastries." Harry quickly handed her a few nuts and sickles and she gladly went on to the next compartment as George and Fred pouted in their seats. They sprang up though when Harry said for them to help themselves.

Taking a chocolate frog for himself he took a look at the card that came with it and saw a frowning Dumbledore. Smirking he stuck it in a pocket in his robe. That could come in handy later to explain Nicholas Flamel.

No one could say anything else about Harry's home life and the compartment of boys spent the remainder of the train ride joking and playing wizarding board games.

"Arrival in five minutes. Please leave your trunks on the train and they will be taken to the school for you."

Draco stood up and took something else from one of his seemingly never ending pockets and pulled out a miniature trunk.

Draco tapped the trunk with his wand and it grew to its full size, with the help of the twins he got it up on the shelf with the others' trunks.

They then filed out of the compartment and off the train as it stopped.

"Firs' years! Firs' years over here! Alrigh' there 'Arry?" A voice boomed out.

It was Hagrid.

Even though it had not happened yet Harry felt betrayed by the half-giant from before and just gave him a curt nod and certainly did not miss the look of confusion on the man's face, he was either confused at Harry's new look or confused by the nod Harry didn't know.

Hagrid led the group of first years over to the lake, and the boats as Harry remembered from his first year.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called out, taking an entire boat for just himself.

Harry, knowing exactly what was going to happen, since he had already done this four years ago-to him, had already been walking over to one of the boats with Neville and Draco following behind him.

Unfortunately the fourth person in the boat was none other than Hermione Granger.

"Hello! My name is Hermione Granger. I'm a muggleborn. I've been reading up on Hogwarts and our classes and I so hope I do well! Have you done any spells yet?" The bushy-haired, buck-toothed, younger Granger said in one breath. Then she saw Harry's scar, as the wind blew his bangs away from shielding it.

"Oh! You're Harry Potter, The-Boy-Who-Lived, aren't you?" Before Harry could say anything she kept going. "Of course, I've read all about you-"

"And I have no doubt all of those books were about me being an incredible hero and doing practically impossible quests and adventures before I even got my wand?" Harry interrupted. He was going to make sure Hermione's rule-worshipping and authority-is-God stance was going to be tuned down this time around.

Harry believed Hermione would still be a great friend to anyone, but her attitude to certain things she doesn't understand just gets in her way of gaining more knowledge.

"Well…no, but all the books say-"

"What? Did I battle a dragon at age seven? Kill a chimera when I was five? Or just go right ahead and say I saved the world at three years old?" Harry asked in a monotone.

"Along those lines…" Hermione conceded, frowning, "But if it's not true why is it in all those books?" She whined. _Wow I don't think I've heard Hermione whine before._

"Not everything you read is true Granger." To Harry's immense surprise it was Neville that said this. He did look nervous to be saying it to someone he was sure was smarter than him and that alone made him anxious to contradict her. Of course Harry knew that Dumbledore Obliviated her at every chance he had, as information he did not want her to know got into her reach, most likely messed up her mind slightly in the other time. This time he would keep her at arm's reach for a while and see if it truly was Dumbledore's fault that Hermione seemed to have issues.

"Ain't she a beauty?" Hagrid suddenly boomed making the four children jump and look at the castle. To the three who had not seen it yet in this time it was incredibly magnificent.

To Harry who it seemed just hours ago was walking to meet death in a dragon the castle seemed foreboding and an icon of most of his life's pain and hardship.

While all the others-besides Hagrid-gasped in awe of the castle Harry sighed staring at it with no expression on his face.

"Duck!" Hagrid once again boomed. Instinctively all the first years ducked their heads although it was only Hagrid that needed to bend his head to go under the cliff's edge.

As their boats gently stopped on the shore of the lake Neville's toad, Trevor, jumped away from him, fortunately right into Hagrid's large hands.

"Hold onto that toad, boy." Hagrid said dropping the amphibian into Neville's hands.

At that moment the castle doors opened and a tall figure stood in the doorway. Harry knew it was Professor McGonagall, standing there with her black graying hair tied up into its severe bun. Then a stone dropped in Harry's stomach. Something he remembered the Sorting Hat had told him the first time, something he thought he heard wrong. It had been just a whisper in his mind by the hat but he knew it had said, "This time it will be Gryffindor, but the next it will not be the lions, or the snakes."

By that he knew where the Sorting Hat was going to put him.

Somewhere where the Headmaster would not trust him as easily. Where he would doubt him and most likely would not let him in on precious secrets in the future. Seeing as he would not be as reckless, fool-hardy, and Dumbledore worshipping like the Gryffindor's.

The Prophet will surely have a field day with it. Harry thought sourly. He could see it already The-Boy-Who-Is-Not-In-Gryffindor, The House of His Parents. This time he would surely be meeting Rita Skeeter a lot sooner than fourth year in the Tri-Wizard tournament.

Harry pulled himself out of his thoughts just as Professor McGonagall finished her speech about the houses.

"…family. Now please make yourselves presentable and I will come for you in a moment." The Scottish professor said before disappearing back towards the main foyer. He did not even bother to try and make his hair lay flat, as four more years he had just given up on it. Neville, Draco, Granger and all the other first years were fidgeting nervously. Hearing Granger recite full paragraphs from the textbooks he decided to put all of his year out of their misery, and hopefully make him seem more the hero they wished for. Since he would be in a different house he would really need to bring out being like how people would expect The-Boy-Who-Lived to be like. Thankfully when his age was reversed, making him look healthier and much more like his mother, the students would not be disappointed but some emaciated scrawny little boy.

_Maybe I should start working out?_ Harry thought.

"You shouldn't worry too much. It's just your name called and you put a hat on your head and it calls out your house."

With some of the first years staring at him in awe now, accomplishing what he needed, he did not bother to listen to McGonagall returning and repeating everything he said. Not batting an eye when the ghosts appeared also really boosted how the group thought of him, _wow, it seems everything is working in my favor just minutes after I decided I need to be like they would expect their hero to be. When will the hat drop…?_ Harry thought as they followed McGonagall into the Great Hall.

He caught a glimpse of Ronald in the group watching "Abbot, Hannah" being called to the stool, thankfully the boy did not see him.

Just as he thought Granger was sent to Gryffindor house, just as last time she did. Hopefully their time in the boat was enough to get her thinking and tone down her thoughts on some things.

Draco, unlike the first time spent almost a full minute with the hat on his head, the ancient relic almost falling down over his head to his nose. In the end he was sent to Ravenclaw instead of Slytherin. Was it my denying his friendship the first time that made him go to Slytherin instead?

When his name was called he saw the leftover first years stared at him in awe, and it seemed to explain to them how he knew how the sorting would happen. Obviously it's because he's Harry Potter. Now he was a hero and seemed to know everything.

"Welcome back young Harry Potter, are you ready for the house that now suits you?"

"Yes, but would you do me a favor?" Harry asked the Sorting Hat.

"A favor? And what would this favor be?"

"Would you allow my Sorting to go on for several more minutes and make it seem as if you were debating on Gryffindor, Slytherin, and my new house?"

"Well then. After seeing into your mind that does seem like a reasonable idea." The Sorting Hat seemed to mentally shrug before, to Harrys confusion, singing the song that it sang when the first years first came in.

"I have to do something to pass the time right? This song takes a couple of minutes anyway." The Hat explained.

Opening his eyes a crack Harry looked at the surrounding faces that were looking over each other's shoulders and standing up to get a look at him.

Some of them had started frowning at the time he had currently been on the stool and look confused. The Slytherin's looked indifferent and were sneering at anyone who glanced their way.

Still looking around the room Harry saw Ronald again, who was glaring at him with jealously all over his face clear as day. Would he really be jealous of me before he even met me?

"Here we go." The Sorting Hat said in Harry's mind before saying out loud, "RAVENCLAW."

Thinking a quick thank you Harry took the Hat off and quickly went over to his new house table and sat beside Draco while the house was cheering.

"I'm so glad we're in the same house!" Draco said grinning.

"Me too." Harry replied before they watched the remainder of the Sorting.

Once again during the feast when he looked towards the Head Table his scar spiked in pain, and this time he knew it was Quirrel. Dumbledore watched him throughout the meal, it seemed to man was looking at him out of the corner of his eye every moment he got. By the time it was over Harry practically stumbled to the Ravenclaw tower along with the other first years. One of the older students told them to go straight to bed and in the morning they would have a house meeting with Professor Flitwick. All of the first years just nodded sleeply and slowly found their way into the dorms and into the four-poster beds.

_Attempted suicide, meeting my parents, and going back in time in one day is just so much to go through…this weekend is going to be horrible…_ Harry thought sleepily before falling asleep just as his head hit the pillow.

* * *

><p>Also make sure to-<br>-Check out _I Am Ready: The Alternative Ending _which will be re-posted soon.  
>-Follow my tumblr at dabunnylord, I'll be posting my own fanart for this story and can do other lil' tidbits.<p>

_~Quill's And Parchment_


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